Displaying My Love for Tim Holtz

This Configurations Tray ended my month-long love affair with Tim Holtz over at Let's Capture Our Memories. I have been wanting to do a printer's type tray for quite awhile and decided to take the plunge when I saw this one at the LCOM STORE. I'm not going to lie - it was pretty labor intensive, but I think the end result was well worth the time put into it!

Creating a project using the Configurations Tray was a no-brainer for me. The boxes can be moved around and arranged in any formation, and they are perfect for inking, painting or covering in paper as I did. And, of course, I was able to ink, tear, crackle paint, and otherwise distress to my heart's content - and let me tell you, I had a VERY CONTENT heart by the end of this project!

Want to see some close-ups? Here you go:

I think the two things I enjoyed the most about working on my tray were that 1)the depth of the boxes allowed me to create little individual 3-D tableaus inside each space, something that's not really possible with a traditional layout; and 2) I had a field day pulling out all my old stickers, charms, ribbons, buttons and, of course, all my Tim Holtz goodies. I was able to use so many cute, eclectic things from my scrappy stash of goodies that I had to have over the past two years but had never found a use for - and I felt totally rightous about those past random purchases!!! In fact, I felt so vindicated that in a post-project shopping orgy...spree...fit of madness...um...trip...to Hobby Lobby I didn't even think twice about buying 8 drawer knobs from the clearance section. Do I have a clue what I will do with them? Nope. But I am positive that the right project will come along. And when it does, my drawer knobs and I will be ready!

Do You Like a Good Challenge?

Do you like a good challenge? I know I do! Challenges are one of the best ways to push yourself to grow creatively. AND they further benefit you by helping to keep your layouts from all looking the same. You know what I'm talking about, right? It's that moment when you look at your last 5 or 6 layouts and realize you have 3 flowers, two pictures, 1 journaling tag and a cluster of brads on every single one of them!!!

My layout is a lift of Amaryllis' ENJOY LIFE, found over at BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Amaryllis used this Page Maps sketch for her layout (at least I think it's this one):

Now, as it turns out, I had previously completed a layout using the SAME sketch a couple of months earlier; however, Amaryllis had a completely different take on it. So, when I lifted her layout, I got a completely different look the second time. See? Here's my original layout done a few months ago:

So, what's my point to this little ramble? CHALLENGE YOURSELF!!!! And what better way to do that than to participate in, you got it, challenges (duh)! And who is having some fun CHALLENGES? BIRDS OF A FEATHER is, that's who. Every month, five new challenges are posted. You don't have to do them all. You don't even have to use the monthly KIT, although they are so well put together you are going to wish you did! The only thing you have to do is to HAVE FUN!

I hope to see you there!

Everyday Tim Holtz, Marketing Team News, and Sketches!

I don't know about you, but when I think about Tim Holtz I don't normally think...everyday all-occasion cards. And I CERTAINLY don't think "quick design project" that is easy to put together! But...that is exactly what I was able to do last night using my yummy papers and supplies from the Let's Capture Our Memories STORE. I think the main thing that made creating these cards so quick and easy was that I used Timmy-Poo's Crowded Attic paper collection which, much like its namesake, is packed with old, vintage images that are perfect for cardmaking, especially when combined with some of his ribbon or those had-to-have-them-could-not-put-them-down miniature hangers.

Speaking of Let's Capture Our Memories, did you know they are looking for a new MARKETING TEAM? I can tell you from personal experience, this is a fabulous group of ladies to work with! And to get free supplies every month to create your projects - well, it just doesn't get much better than that! Entries are due no later than September 15th, and the term runs from November 2011 to March 2012.

For those of you who are having a hard time finding inspiration or simply finding the time to scrap due to school that has just begun or getting ready to begin, here are a couple of great sketches from my favorite sketch sites:

From SASSY LIL SKETCHES, here is the August Week 3 sketch:

And here is my take on it:

You know the Design Team has come up with lots of great ideas, so if you still need a little inspiration, click HERE.

And, last but not least, from LET'S SCRAP, here is this week's new sketch, hot off the virtual press:

Want to see what the Let's Scrap Girls and I made? Well, you're going to have to click HERE!

Until next time - be creative!

One Kit, Two Looks

Happy Saturday everyone! I know many of you are probably wondering what's been going on with my posts - or rather my lack of posts. Well, it's been that hectic end-of-summer break/back to school time, and it seems I have been running around with at least 94 new errands to do on any given day - seriously! But I have DT reveals stacking up that I am DYING to share with you!

I just got the September BIRDS OF A FEATHER kit in, and it is gorgeous! Or as my grandmama would say, GAWJUS (normally with the word "honey" immediately following, as in, "now that is just gawjus honey."). And, yep, that's exactly what the September kit is - GAWJUS! It's full of Echo Park Victoria Gardens papers and flowers and ribbon and stickers and rub-ons and mini-frames and chipboard - oh have I got plans for it all, let me tell you! So, without further ado, here are the first two layouts I did:

I have been waiting for just the right papers to come along that I could use for this darling pic of my little niece Audrey who is dressed up as a fairy. When I saw the Victoria Gardens collection peeking out at me from my delivery box, I knew it was time! I fussy cut several of the roses from the papers and used ones from the sticker sheet that was included in my kit. A fairy layout HAS to sparkle (I'm sure it's the law), so of course I had to add stickles to my flowers.

I used Sketch 169 from CREATIVE SCRAPPERS, but I went off on my little flower tangent, so I don't think you can much tell anymore - LOL!

My second layout using my September BOAF kit is this:

I used this sketch from SASSY LIL SKETCHES:

As you can see, I stayed very true to the sketch. I loved the clean-lines look of this and (I think) the results were quite striking when using the EP Victoria Gardens papers. What do you think?

We are celebrating my son's birthday this weekend and finishing up with back-to-school stuff, but that lovely kit keeps calling my name so I am sure I will find a way to sneak in a little more scrapping time! Hope you are able to enjoy some happy craft time, too!

Let's Scrap! (and a chance to win a prize)

Want to scrap but feel like you're in a rut and need a little creative inspiration? Then check out these two sketches from Let's Scrap - they certainly inspired me! Here is the first sketch - it's an oldie but a goodie:

I very seldom use two page sketches, primarily because I use a 3-ring binder for my layouts so they never "connect" in the middle. But what I like about this sketch is that the only connecter between the two pages is really just the trim so my layout will end up looking like two coordinated pages in my scrapbook. I can definitely live with that!

I have been loving the look of black cardstock as a background paper - it makes my patterned papers, whether primary or pastel colors, POP! For my layout, I mostly used Echo Park's For the Record line because it's cute without being girly or childish.

I reduced the number of photos on my second page, but you can see the possibilities for using lots more pics if you want. And, of course, there are so many ways you can play with embellies on this page!

I added a little hidden journaling, and I was good to go!

This is my second layout, a DT project for Let's Scrap:

It was created using this week's 8-10-11 sketch:

Obviously, I only used the left side of the sketch, but that's what is so cool about Let's Scrap sketches. They give you two pages, but if you want to play along in their challenges, you have the option of using one or both pages - your choice!

Want to play with the 8.10.11 sketch? If you do so by August 16th and post it on the Let's Scrap SITE
, you will be entered in a drawing to win this:

Scrapbooking AND loot? It doesn't get much better than that!

Refrigerator Worthy

Remember when you were a little child and if you made a really pretty picture, your mom would stick it to the front of the refrigerator? No? Don't worry, my mom didn't do those things either! But I like this layout, created with my Birds of a Feather August Kit SO MUCH that I feel like a little kid wanting to show it off! And I may just stick it to the front of MY fridge!

Yes, the picture is of me lazing around in the pool with my little neurotic doggy, Bailey. She cannot STAND to be left out of anything - whether it's the room I am in or, in this case, the float in the pool I am in!

And as pleased as I was with my layout, I was positively over the moon with my next project!

I found a cheap unfinished picture frame at Michaels that was perfect for covering with papers from my August Kit. The layout was easy to make with the majority of the time spent putting together and arranging the flowers. I used sticker flowers, fussy cut flowers and flowers made from punches for my "floral arrangement" and sealed everything firmly into place with Glossy Accents - a little something I learned from my bestie Alissa. The only real difference between this and a "regular" scrapbook layout is that I covered all my papers on the frame with a gel medium to harden them somewhat and make them more durable and less prone to tearing.

Here's a close-up of the flowers I had so much fun making!

Hope to see you over at Birds of a Feather and see what YOU'VE made with your kit! They are packed with so many goodies, the projects I can make seem to go on and on and on and on!

Let's Scrap Page Maps August Challenge

You know how much I love sketches so to be chosen for the design team of a site that focuses on using sketches to create layouts (and that has an active international on-line community of wonderful women)is a very good thing! Most of the sketches are two pagers, but you can always use just one side, rotate it, flip it, combine the two sides - all things that I've certainly done at one time or another!

My Snow Cones layout was created using a recent Let's Scrap sketch from 7-27-11. I used Echo Park Splash papers and created my banner by punching out the circles from the paper with a small circle punch. I then affixed them to my twine by using teeny-tiny brads and a bit of adhesive on the back.

Enough about my layout, let's talk a bit more about Let's Scrap. Do you like sketches? Do you like Becky Fleck's Page Maps Sketches? Do you like getting the chance to win prizes? Then head over to the Let's Scrap site where, throughout the month of August, you can play with this sketch:

And have the chance to win this great prize sponsored by EnMarc:

For more info, just click HERE!

I Am in Heaven

Now you may be thinking my title to this post is a little melodramatic, but I'm telling you, it's true! Here's why:

1. I love challenges and I love sketches - finding a challenge in which I have to create a layout by using a provided sketch (which is exactly what Birds of a Feather did) is the BEST of the best as far as I'm concerned;

2. I used my BOAF August Kit , which is FULL of bright patterned papers - some of my favorites for my summer pictures. And (yes here's a shameless plug) at $35 for the kit and getting the cardstock add-on, I have created (so far) 3 layouts, an altered item, two cards and am working on my fourth layout. You KNOW how much I like to layer papers and create paper embellies on my layouts so that's a crazy good deal in my book;

3. The sketch chosen for the July challenge (yes, I'm going to make you go to the site and find it)was unique, and I could easily tell that it would render a layout that I could quickly create but that still packed a visual punch.

So, there you have it, heaven. August is now here so I am off to see what things I can find at my favorite haunts to challenge myself with this month! If you know of anything fun and exciting - feel free to pass your info my way!